Moving To Florida

Move To Florida

Essential Facts To Make Your Move To Florida Go Smoothly

Moving To Florida

If you move to Florida with the intention of making the state your main residence then you are a Florida resident... entitled to the advantages and perks that go along with it. Legislation in Florida states that your legal residence is determined by your intention! However it would be wise to get yourself some written proof... you will acquire this quickly after your move to Florida.

Provide Factual Evidence Of Your Intentions

Ensure everything about you reflects that you are a Floridian, here are some of the essentials you will need for your daily business-

Valid Florida Drivers License

Florida law stipulates that you must obtain a Florida driver's license within 30 days after becoming a resident of Florida, if you are running a vehicle within the state. ( Or obtain a new license within10 days of changing address or name )
- There are 2 types of license issued-

1.Full license-valid in all US states and issued only to US citizens and resident aliens

2.Florida Only License -issued to non residents and resident aliens wishing to retain their foreign license.

To obtain a Florida driver's license, you must present evidence of your identification, proof of your date of birth and your social security number.
Depending on which state you are from, you may be able to use your former state's driver's license as a primary identification document. If you have an out-of-state license and it has not expired beyond 30 days, you may be able to convert it to a Florida license without taking a written or road test.

Vehicle Title and Registration

You must apply for a Florida certificate of title for any vehicle you own and run in the state of Florida. To register your vehicle you must submit the original title and proof of Florida insurance to the county tax collector. You are required to register your car every year. For more common Q&A on then visit Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

Declaration of Domicile

Upon making Florida your permanent residence, you should execute and file with the clerk of circuit court in the county where you reside, a Declaration of Domicile.

This document is a sworn statement stating that you live in and maintain a home in the Florida and that you intend to maintain such residence as your permanent home. If you also have a residence or residences in other states and or countries, you may disclose them and declare that the Florida residence is your principal home.

Register To Vote

A good way to evidence your intention to reside in Florida is to register to vote in the Florida county where you reside and vote in local, state and federal elections. You can register to vote in Florida on-line

Wills and Estate Planning

You should have a will prepared by a Florida attorney which complies with Florida law and indicates that you are a resident of Florida. This will revoke any previous will and make sure that your estate is distributed according to your wishes with the least amount of complications and delay.

Tax Filings

Federal income tax returns whilst in Florida should be filed in Atlanta. As a Florida resident, you must also file Florida tangible and intangible tax returns, if applicable.

Opening A Bank Account

There are over 200 banks in Florida, shop around for the best deals, most will require some form of deposit. You can protect yourself by checking out any you are interested in with Veribanc.

Non residents/ Visa Applicants Needing To Open Bank Account Prior to Arrival

It is advisable to open an account with a bank that operates both in America and your own country. The two most common options for this are HSBC and Citibank as they seem to operate globally.

Phone Citibank or HSBC in US and they’ll open an ordinary account for you on presentation of the appropriate ID and, sometimes, a bank reference. Citibank seems more geared up for this: call their International Personal Banking Department on 001-813-604-3000. To get pasts the infamous pesky automated service try * or #.

ID

This is any government issued document with a photo for individuals. The address on the ID must match the address given by the applicant. If it doesn’t, further proof of address must be provided such as a phone installation bill, rental agreement or a receipt for establishing any utility service.
Examples of Primary ID:

Driver's License
Valid Passport
State Identification Card
Armed Forces Identification Card
Alien Identification Card

In addition, non-residents are required to fulfill the following criteria:

They must have a valid passport
They must permanently reside outside the United States but may have a temporary transitional residence
They must not be a United States citizen or have a USA social security number
They must not have a green card

When opening a bank account non-residents will be required to sign various forms, which will be explained to them at the time of opening the account.

Acceptable secondary ID is as follows:

Employee Identification Card
Student Identification Card
Major Credit Card

Schools

Florida school demographics can be sourced for all regions and zips from here

Housing In Florida

Renting- There are tons of sites offering private landlord accommodation from condo's to town houses...just Google it, or check out this list of links for housing authority accommodation in Florida.
Buying- We have connections with a network of property specialists, who have been through the home buying process as customers as well as in a professional capacity, some with vast experience of buying overseas. Do get in touch via our contact form if you need assistance with yor moving to Florida housing or need questions answered.

Other Pages Of Interest
Visit our Home Inventory Wizard